Percival's Crush
by aridancer
Summary: When a very pretty, very sweet girl comes into Percival's life for a week, he's not sure how to react at first. Eventually, they get to know each other, and it's more wonderful than anything he's ever experienced. Whatever will he do when she has to leave? Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or any of the characters from the show.


[**A/N:** Hello, all! Welcome to this short fic. I wrote it because I felt like Percival deserved a bit of happiness in the form of a romantic interest. This story is pretty much just cute fluff, so if you love Percival and sweetness, tell me how much you loved it in a review :) If you absolutely detest fluff... read it anyway and tell me why you didn't like it. Constructive criticism helps me to become a better writer :P Thanks for checking this out!]

* * *

**Sunday**

Percival wasn't really paying attention to what was going on.

He had no idea what the visiting Lady's name was, nor what neighboring kingdom she hailed from.

He didn't even know what day of the week it was.

All he knew was that he was staring at the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

She must have been one of the Lady's three handmaidens, since she was wearing a dress that wasn't as fancy as the Lady's, but not so coarse as a servant's. Of course, her clothes weren't really what caught Percival's eye- it was her face. The girl had startlingly blue eyes and a petite nose, with pink lips curved in a good-natured yet shy smile. Her delicate features were framed by auburn curls, braided on the sides, and loose in the back. The faintest dusting of freckles peppered her perfect nose, and her skin was pale with a light flush upon her fine cheeks.

Gwaine noticed his expression and nudged him, chuckling softly. "Ah, what a sweet little flower. You have good taste, after all."

Percival raised his eyebrows, distracted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing." Gwaine sighed and clucked his teeth. "Anyway, I don't suppose you're actually going to speak to her when you have a chance."

Percival's brain froze for a fraction of a second. Speak to her? …He'd only make a fool of himself. He didn't know how to talk to someone like her. "Er…"

"I thought so." Gwaine smiled wryly at his friend. "Well, since you seem so entranced, I'll control myself and let you do the pursuing- _this_ time. Think of it as a one-time favor."

Percival almost snorted. "Right."

**Sunday evening**

"Hello there! Welcome to Camelot," Merlin said in a friendly manner to one of the girls who had come with Lady Laranna. "What's your name?"

The girl's blue eyes widened, and she smiled nervously, glancing down at her hands. "Silver. I know, it's a little strange..."

"Not at all! It's quite interesting, actually. I'm Merlin." He gave her a little wave as he continued on his way to where Arthur and Guinevere were sitting, to do his dinner serving duties.

A few seats away, the knights clinked their glasses together. "Uh oh. Better make a move before Merlin does," Leon muttered to Percival. Gwaine laughed aloud and patted Leon on the back in approval.

"What, does everyone know?" Percival grumbled.

"Actually, I didn't tell him," Gwaine pointed out. "All he had to do was follow your gaze. You were staring at her so intently, I'm not sure if you even remembered to blink," he jested.

"I can't help it," Percival sighed. "I mean, I've seen pretty girls before, but… she's…"

"_Very _pretty?" Gwaine batted his eyelashes, and Percival made a face at him while Leon chuckled heartily.

"What did I miss?" Elyan asked as he plopped down into his seat.

"Not much," Percival assured him hurriedly. He took one last fleeting glance at the girl before reluctantly looking away.

Right when he stopped looking at her, Silver raised her gaze, her eyes darting over to the tall, muscled, handsome knight who stood out among the others. She hoped he would notice her… but he seemed too busy, conversing with his friends.

**Monday**

"Hurry it up, Merlin," Arthur admonished Merlin, who was fastening the last few straps on Arthur's armor. "The king can't very well be the slowest to get out on the field."

"Of course, sire," Merlin said, refraining from rolling his eyes. He held Arthur's sword out to him, and the king took it, striding outside of the armory.

Percival waited until Arthur was gone, and then he approached Merlin as casually as possible. "Hey, Merlin."

Merlin looked up. "Hello, Percival." He started gathering up the smelly clothes Arthur had left for him. "How are you today?"

"Fine. Good," Percival said distractedly. "Er, Merlin… There was a girl you spoke to last night, at dinner. Did you happen to catch her name?"

"Which one?" Merlin thought back to the night- he had greeted pretty much all of the people from Lady Laranna's court; nobles and servants alike.

"Well, she… She has very blue eyes. She's quite… dainty," Percival explained, struggling for words to describe her.

"Ohh. I think you're talking about Silver," Merlin said, nodding thoughtfully. "She seemed very shy."

"Yes, that's her," Percival said. "Thanks."

"Why did you want to know?" Merlin asked slyly. He gave Percival an innocent grin.

"No reason," Percival insisted, high-tailing it out of there.

**Tuesday**

Percival was just going for a nice walk in the courtyard when he heard the sound of wood smacking upon wood. Curious, he followed the noises, which led him behind the stables.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw there. Silver, clad in simple tunic and breeches, was holding a stick that looked like it belonged to a broom. In front of her was a barrel, which she was attacking quite well with her makeshift sword. Percival noticed that she seemed to be copying some of the moves that he and the other knights usually used when they were practicing with the sword.

"Oh!" Silver dropped the stick when she saw that Percival was standing there. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened, and she took a step back, as though she were about to flee.

"Wait!" Percival insisted. "You, uh… You have very good form, there." He mentally cursed himself for not being able to form a proper sentence, and tried again. "I'm Percival."

"Silver," she said quietly, glancing up at him. "I must look ridiculous."

"Not at all," Percival insisted. "You were handling that stick better than some of the knights handle swords. Do you practice often?"

"…Only in secret," Silver admitted, picking up the stick she had been using. "I know that, in some places, noble women learn how to wield swords, but… Lady Laranna is very, um, _ladylike_. She thinks that such practices are only for men. I think it's important for everyone to learn."

"I agree," Percival said, nodding. "So… you are a noble?"

Silver shrugged. "I'm the third daughter of a less well-known noble family. My parents thought that being a lady-in-waiting for the Lady Laranna would be excellent for me."

"And do you think it's excellent for you?" Percival asked.

"Well…" Silver wrinkled her nose in a way that made Percival's heart melt. "I don't know. But I am very grateful for all that she has done for me," she added quickly. "She _is_ a wonderful person."

They stood there for a moment in quietness. Then, Percival cleared his throat and drew his sword. "I, uh… I could show you a few things, if you wanted."

Silver's eyes lit up. "You would do that for me?"

"Of course." Percival held his sword out to her, hilt first. "Have you ever wielded a proper sword?"

Silver gripped it with both hands, and as soon as Percival let go, the tip of the sword fell to the ground. "…No," Silver said, embarrassed.

"Here…" Percival stepped beside her and grasped her hands, raising the sword until they were holding it upright together. "Try to balance your own weight against it."

Silver's brows drew together in concentration, and she planted her feet farther apart. "I think I have it."

Percival let go slowly, wishing he could hold on to her hands for longer, and when he stepped back, Silver had the sword balanced correctly. "Good!" Percival praised her, smiling slightly.

After he helped her practice hacking at the barrel for an hour or so, they bid each other farewell, and Percival had a slight spring in his step as he walked away. That was the most time he had ever spent with a girl without feeling awkward.

He ran into Gwaine, who looked at him suspiciously. "And where have you been?" the cheekier of the two asked.

"Tavern," Percival lied. Gwaine raised an eyebrow, and Percival blushed.

**Wednesday**

"Merlin?"

Merlin looked up at the sound of someone calling his name. He smiled when he realized it was Silver, and walked down the hall until he was close enough to speak with her. "Hello!"

"Hi." Silver smiled brightly, and then looked around, making sure that there was no one else around. "Um, Merlin… Will you tell me about Percival?"

Merlin shrugged. "Sure. What about him?"

"Well, I…" Silver's cheeks turned a bright pink, and Merlin couldn't help smiling: he had a feeling about where this was going. "I was just wondering if he has… I was wondering if there are any girls who are currently, you know, interested in him."

_Besides you?_ Merlin wanted to quip; but, he had a feeling that would just mortify her. "No, Percival's quite unattached right now. He's a big sweetheart, too- don't let that gruff, manly exterior fool you."

"Really?" The corners of Silver's lips lifted a little bit. "That's good. I mean, I suppose that's good."

Across the hall, Guinevere caught a glimpse of the two of them, talking closely together. She smiled and sighed.

Elyan happened to be passing by, and he noticed her expression. "What is it?" he asked his sister.

"Oh, nothing." Guinevere nodded her head over at Silver and Merlin. "I was just thinking about how adorable they are- it reminds me of Arthur and myself."

"Ahh." Elyan followed her gaze, and grinned when Silver laughed at something Merlin said. "Looks like I have something new to tease him about!"

"Don't be _too_ mean," Guinevere scolded him lightly.

**Thursday**

Percival and Elyan chuckled at something Gwaine said about a girl he was currently wooing, and they slowed their horses down to a walk. One could never be too careful while on patrol, even though the woods seemed quite unassuming, for the time being.

"Ah… I think I need to start taking lessons from Merlin, though," Elyan said, chuckling. "He seems to have the whole girl thing down pat, more than I do. It would be quite embarrassing if he found someone before I did."

"What do you mean?" Gwaine asked. "Merlin's as clueless as ever."

"Well, yesterday I saw him getting friendly with one of those girls who waits on Lady Laranna," Elyan announced. "She seemed quite interested in what he had to say."

"Don't tell me it was the buxom blonde?" Gwaine asked, feigning a comical expression of shock.

"No," Elyan snickered. "It was that really small, dainty one, with the curly brown hair and blue eyes."

Percival felt his heart jolt in his chest. He thought Merlin knew that he was interested in Silver. How could he-?! Percival sighed. Merlin _was _pretty clueless… Perhaps he was just being friendly. Still, he supposed he would have to move faster if he didn't want Silver to start falling for Merlin. His eyes scanned the forest floor for something that might catch Silver's eye, and he sort of tuned out whatever Elyan and Gwaine were now discussing.

**Thursday evening**

Silver looked up when there was a knock upon the door of the chamber she was staying in. Curious, she set down the embroidery she was working on and opened the door.

Percival was standing there, dressed in his signature outfit- chainmail that was cut off at the shoulders- as though he had just been outside. "…Hello," he began.

"Hi, Percival." Silver opened the door a little wider, so they could speak properly. "Uh… How are you?"

"I'm well." Percival's hands were behind his back, and he seemed a little fidgety. "Are you? Well?"

"Yes." Silver tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"Oh! Uh, well, I was out on patrol, and I thought you might like these." Percival brought his hands out from behind his back to reveal a handful of colorful wildflowers in purples, blues, and pinks.

"Wow…" Silver's eyes shone as she looked first at the flowers, and then at Percival. "These are beautiful."

"You like them?" Percival handed her the flowers, relieved. He really wasn't too good at this sort of romantic gesture thing. "Good. Er, that's good."

Silver held the flowers in her hands and took a breath, inhaling their sweet scent. "Thank you very much, Percival. I- I don't know what to say."

Percival smiled softly. "The look on your face… That's more than enough."

Silver felt her heart skip a beat as their eyes met. She was about to say something when they both heard someone approaching down the hall. It wasn't illegal for the two of them to be there together, but it wasn't quite appropriate, either.

"I should go," Percival said awkwardly. "Goodnight, Silver."

"Goodnight…" Silver hesitated, and then she took a step forward, kissing Percival lightly on the cheek. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him, and even then, she almost kissed his chin instead.

Percival's mouth fell open slightly, and then he smiled, bowing his head before turning to go. As he walked down the hall, a big grin spread slowly onto his face.

**Thursday night**

"Gaius," Merlin said worriedly as he walked into the healer's house. "Lady Laranna says that one of her handmaidens has fallen sick with a terrible fever."

"It's been going around the village all week," Gaius said knowingly, gathering together a few poultices and potions to take with him to the young lady's room. "Sooner or later, someone in the castle was bound to catch it. How is she?"

"She was sweating and mumbling," Merlin informed him as they walked briskly to her room. "And her cheeks were very red. I gave her some water, but it didn't seem to help much."

Gaius nodded. "Ah, here we are." They entered the room and moved beside the bed, where Lady Laranna was standing, fretting and fussing.

"Silver is one of my favorite girls," she said tenderly. "She's been with me for quite a while, and she works harder than my other two handmaidens put together. But she is very delicate, and she always catches the worst of whatever illnesses are going around. I fear that her small stature is probably part of the problem."

"She will be just fine," Gaius assured her as he lifted the girl's head slightly, to assist her in swallowing a special tincture. "She'll need someone to monitor her temperature through the night, and keep her brow cool, but the fever should break by morning. She'll also need to take this tincture upon waking."

"Oh, thank heavens." Lady Laranna smiled gratefully. "I'll look after her myself."

"I can do it," Percival said from the doorway. "If it's all right with you, Lady Laranna. I would like to take care of Silver." He had seen Merlin rushing to get Gaius, and followed the commotion to Silver's room.

Lady Laranna appraised him thoughtfully. "And who might you be?"

"Percival, Knight of Camelot," he told her, bowing in respect. "Silver and I are, er… We met earlier."

"Well… I suppose it says much about Camelot's knights, that you are willing to do such a humble task as this for someone who is not even of your court." Lady Laranna smiled warmly at him. "I will leave her in your care if you promise that she will be properly cared for."

"I swear it, on my honor as a knight," Percival said, his gaze shifting towards Silver. On the table beside her bed was a glass vase, which held the flowers he had brought her a few hours ago. Her eyes were closed, and her skin was clammy with sweat, and she was trembling slightly… but she was still the loveliest girl he had ever known.

**Friday morning**

Silver's eyes fluttered open, and she squinted against the sunlight that was streaming through the window and onto her face. She felt sticky and weak, but otherwise fine. Silver sat up, and she was about to throw the blankets off when she realized that she wasn't alone.

Her gaze softened when she saw Percival sitting beside her bed. He was slouched back in his chair, with his head nodded forward in sleep. Silver then noticed the small vial of liquid upon the bedside table. Assuming she was supposed to drink it, she picked it up, hands shaking slightly.

Percival awoke slowly and cleared his throat. "Uh. Good morning."

"Good morning." Silver suddenly felt very self-conscious about how she must look right then. "Did you… Were you here all night?"

Percival nodded. "Gaius said that someone needed to stay with you."

Silver looked down at her hands. The vial almost slipped from her grasp, but Percival put his hands on hers, steadying them. "Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

"…Yes." A few tears slipped down Silver's cheeks before she realized they were even there. "I'm sorry. It's just that no guy has ever been this wonderful to me before- and we barely even know each other."

Percival smiled lightly. "Well, I had to make sure you were all right, so I could give you another sword lesson." He took the tincture from her hands and uncorked it. "Let me help."

Silver's cheeks reddened as he tipped the contents of the vial into her mouth, and she drank it down. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Percival set the empty container down and gazed at her. "You deserve to be taken care of like a princess."

Silver smiled down at her lap. "I am no princess."

"You are to me." Percival leaned closer and caught her chin gently in his hand.

"I-I don't want to get you sick," Silver whispered helplessly. Percival didn't respond as their lips came together in a sweet kiss.

**Saturday**

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Percival said to Silver as they walked down the hall together. "You probably want to see more of Camelot than just your quarters."

"You're right," Silver admitted with a smile. "I would really love to go somewhere with a river or something- I love the water."

"I don't have to go on patrol today. Perhaps we can go for a walk in the woods," Percival said hopefully. "There's a stream with a little waterfall not too far from here."

"That sounds wonderful!" Silver exclaimed, looking up at him happily.

Across the hall, Elyan passed by Guinevere and raised his eyebrows at her. "Looks like we were wrong about who she likes."

Guinevere nodded. "It looks like it. But they are so sweet together…" She smiled, noticing the huge difference in Percival and Silver's heights and statures. "I hope Merlin finds someone soon, though. He could use a girl in his life."

"I could use a girl in _my_ life," Elyan said, chuckling.

**Saturday afternoon**

Silver and Percival strolled on until they reached the stream he had mentioned. There, they sat and talked together for a while, growing more fond of each other with each moment. They were so focused on their conversation that they hardly noticed when the sky was beginning to turn grey.

They only realized it when the first few drops of rain began to plink gently down upon their faces.

"Oh, dear…" Silver's mouth drew into an over-exaggerated pout. "When I said I liked the water, I didn't mean that I wanted it to rain!"

Percival chuckled. "Do you really hate the rain?"

"No, I love it," Silver insisted. "I just don't want to get sick again."

"Oh. That makes sense," Percival agreed. He seemed to consider something for a moment, and then he stood, sweeping Silver into his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather.

"Goodness! What are you doing?" Silver exclaimed.

"I'm carrying you back to the castle," Percival explained matter-of-factly as he walked along. "If your feet get wet, you might catch cold."

Silver's cheeks were redder than cherries. "Percival…"

Percival leaned his head down and kissed her on the nose before continuing on. When they got inside, Percival snagged a blanket from a laundry maid's stack and wrapped it around Silver after setting her down.

"Hey, look! It's PerSilver," Gwaine said humorously, his voice carrying down the hall as he passed by with Leon. Percival was too taken aback to say anything.

Silver looked up at him. "…PerSilver?"

"Gwaine is a sad, strange little man," Percival said ruefully, shrugging his shoulders. "Er… Will I see you at dinner?"

"Definitely." Silver smiled and embraced Percival before they parted ways. Her smile faded when she thought of how they would soon have to actually part ways… She had no idea when she would be able to see him again.

**Sunday**

The castle was a flurry of activity as everyone got ready for Lady Laranna's departure. It seemed like she and her court had only just arrived there, and they already had to leave.

No one felt that way more than Percival and Silver. Silver would sigh as she folded up Lady Laranna's spare dresses; and when Gwaine asked Percival to join him in stealing some chicken from the kitchen, he said no. That's when Gwaine really started to worry.

"Poor old Percy… Never had to say goodbye to a damsel like this, I'll wager," Gwaine muttered to Elyan. "I didn't realize he liked her this much."

"I guess the big guy's more sensitive than we give him credit for," Elyan mused, watching Percival walk dejectedly outside.

Lady Laranna was seated upon her white horse, chatting amiably with Guinevere as the servants packed up the rest of the things. Silver was among the last to emerge from the castle, and she hesitated, glancing back at Percival, who was standing with the other knights. His chin was up, but his eyes were downcast.

"Guinevere," Laranna said in a low voice. "I seem to remember you telling me that you were in search of a new handmaiden. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the queen replied, smiling. "My last one, Sefa, had to leave her job quite suddenly… I can manage fine without one, but I do miss having someone around."

"Well, might I make a recommendation?" Lady Laranna beamed down at Silver, who was saddling up her horse. "Silver here is an excellent handmaiden. I can think of no one better for the job, if you'll have her, and if she would like to stay here for a while. Silver, would you like to remain in Camelot for any reason? Any reason at all?" Laranna's gaze flickered to Percival for an instant, and she smiled again.

Silver's mouth was hanging slightly open, and she struggled to reply. "My lady… That would be… I mean, I… Are you sure?"

Lady Laranna chuckled. "Of course! I still have two lovely ladies to help me with things at our castle, and you should know that you are welcome to visit at any time."

"We would love to have you here, Silver," Guinevere said warmly. Silver nodded enthusiastically as her gaze met Percival's across the courtyard.

"I would love to stay," she said softly. Percival's mouth spread slowly into a grin, and Silver felt her heart beat a little bit faster. She wouldn't have to leave him, after all.

Percival felt as though a weight had lifted from his chest. Silver was going to stay! He wasn't quite sure of what the future would hold for the two of them, but he knew one thing for certain: He wanted Silver to be a part of his life… She was already a part of his heart.


End file.
